Investigating Pump and Treat Methods in Remediation of Contaminated Aquifer

Penetration of pollutions to groundwater resources and extending in the aquifer environment can endanger the health in large volumes of groundwater resources as green and sustainable water. Pump and treat methods have not been widely used in Iran in last decades due to the operational complexity, exercising high potential costs and low threat of pollution. In this study, pump and treat methods are investigated for successful implementation and overcoming the failure factors in Iran. The study is library-based and the content is based on the experiences of this method for contaminated sites, scientific and experimental studies of this method, along with guidelines from the US Environmental Protection Agency in a descriptive-analytical manner. It is shown that determination of pollutant type and contamination range through sampling with new tools, hydraulic containment to prevent the spread of contaminated mussels, computer simulation, effective pumping operation, monitoring the contaminated area, employing a suitable purification method and evaluating the total operation performance, reducing the costs and duration of the project and the success of the pump and treat method are effective in achieving the objectives of purification practice in the contaminated area. The principal application of the pump and treat method can prevent the development of pollution in groundwater resources and high purification costs and help to rehabilitate many contaminated aquifers in Iran.